Aeroplane.



H. J. FRENCH.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9.,1910.

Patented Dec. 12,1911.

Her-barf ..I.Frennh H. J. FRENCH. AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1910. 1,01 1,604. Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' Hat-heft .lF'I'Emnh V auomu HERBERT J. rRENcH, or sna'rrnn,wAsHIivsroNQ AEBOPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented fl ec 1 2 Application filed June 9,1910 Serial No. 565,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HE BERT J. FRn oH, a. citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State ofWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aero-.

planes, 'of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relatesto heavier-than air flying machins'and theprincipal object of the same is to produce a flying machine of theaeroplane type in which a novel combined supporting plane and rudder isprovided and arranged at the forward end of the machine so that it isalways in position to be seen by the aviator.

The invention also contemplates a novel main plane which is provided.withbalancing fins provided with movable sections adapted to bemanipulated to deflect the air beneath the lowered end of the main planeto check tilting ofthe machine, the movable and stationary portions ofthe fins opposing skidding l of the machine.

In addition to the foregoing prominent features, the inventioncontemplates the employment of propelling means which project beyond therear of the machine, and novel supporting means for the machine when onthe ground which also absorbs shocks and jars incidental to. landing.

In carrying out the objects of the invention generally stated above itwill be under stood, of course, that the essential features thereof arenecessarily susceptible of changes in details and structuralarrangements, one

preferred -'and practical embodiment of which is shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein-:--- I .Figure 1 is a perspective view.of the improve'daeroplane. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. F ig. 3 is "aView in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of thecombined supporting plane and rudder.

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation a .plan view of a foot leverfor controlling the tilting movements of the supportingplane and rudder.Fig. 7 is a fragmentary showing the guiding means for the rear of thesupporting plane and rudder. Fig. 6 is view showing a plate thatcontrols the balancing fins, and a hand lever that controls .thevertical movements of the supporting plane and'rudder. Fig. 8 is afragmentary sectional view showing the construction ofv the supportingplane and'rudder.

a detail fragmentary sectional: view .of the main plane and thefinsocarriedgthereby.

Fig. 10 is a detail view ofa yieldablerpulle used in connection with theleads ofrcontro ling lines or cables. v Referring to the accompanyingdrawings by numerals, it will 'be seen that .theimproved aeroplanecomprises an elongated frame formed of the spaced base members- 1--2which converge and have their forward ends fastened together.. saidbasemembers are connected at intervals by the transverse brace bars 3,andcarry'uprights 4 which are arranged in" pairs the members of whichconverge and-support the upper centrally located longitudinal framemember 5. The frame member!) is "in the form of an arch and the forwardend Gextends down to and is rigidly fastened to the for-" ward ends ofthe base members 1 and 2. A

resilient skid or runner 7 extends beneath the forward portion oftheframe, the free end of said skid having a wire or othersuitableconnection 8 withone of'the forward braces 3. Said skid serves asa'supp'ort'for the forward end of the frame when on the ground and theconnection 8 permits resiliency thereto so that the shocks" and jarsincidental to traveling over the ground or when landing from a flight,are absorbed.

The rear end of the plane is provided with similar skids or runners 9the free 'ends of which are connected by an axle 10 that (San ries thewheels or'rollers11.'- Each skid or runnerQ'has a wire or other suitableconnection 12 with the base offthe frame.-- Therear skids absorb theshocks and jars in the manner described in connection with the forwardskid and when on the ground the wheels or rollers carry: all the weight,but

when landing heavily, the'wheels rise or give, and the skids themselvescome in contact with the ground and supp'ort'jal-l" the weight, thustaking a too heavy strain-off the. wheels or rollers. The-*frame" ismade of light butstrong materiahfsuch as bamboo,

and the runners or skidsare made ofstrong, but resilient material,.suchas hlckoryl -At the rear of the frame,--aplatform -l3 is provided forthe motor 14,- the shaft '15 of which carries a sprocket wheel 16 thathas a chain connection 17' with a propeller shaft 18 journaled in'thcrear uprights of the frame. Said shaft-projects wellb'e'yond the rearend of the frame and has a probeing exerted upon the plane such as mightdamage the same, and also for the fact that pulleys to keepthe springswill cause the the cables taut.

A foot. lever59 is pivotally mounted on one of thebraces 3 adjacent theaviators seat 21. The ends of said lever project beyond the. sides ofthe supporting frame. Cables; 60 connect the ends'of levers 59 withportions of the forward edge of the plane 40 on opposite sides of theuniversally connect-' ed." centerxthereof. Said cables pass over pulleys61- which are preferably the same as the pulleys-at the rear of theplane, and are carried by the base of th supporting frame. It will beseen that by rocking lever 59, the plane may be readily tilted to steerthe aeroplane horizontally, the necessary rotation being permittedthrough the rotary sleeve 30, and the rotary ferrule 43 carried by,anarm 41.

From the foregoing description itwill be apparent that this aeroplaneprovides means whereby the aviator can control the steering, propulsion,balance, and the means that prevent skidding from the seat 21-, theseparts of the invention being so arranged that but two hand levers andone foot lever are necessary.

In, Fig. 4, a detail view of the combined rudder and supporting plane isshown to illustrate a preferred method of constructing the plane.Referring -thereto it will be seen that the plane is composed of forwardand rear edge bars 62 and 63 and connecting ribs 64 that are overlappedby sheets of veneer 65. The, rearwardly projecting arm 41 may be formedby extending two of the veneer sheets and clamping them togetherintermediate their lengths, and at their ends by the rotary ferrule. Thedescribed frame is held assembled by the edge strap 66 which is fastenedin position by screws 67,

and is covered by suitable fabric 68 that is held in position by theWires 69 and staples 70. Said plane 40 is provided withcent-rallylocated upper and lower socket plates 71 in which the standards 72 are-mounted. Said standards are provided withcaps. 73 from which the stays.74 radiate and-connect with the-edges of the plane. Y The fins of themain plane are braced by -=the stays 7 5,- and, as] shown, in Fig. 9,they covering of the main plane.

are preferably formed of fabric 7 6 which is stitchedor otherwisefastened to the fabric Said main plane is preferably similar inconstruction to the combined supporting plane and rudder, and has theends connected to the base members of the frame by the brace )VLIQSJ'T.

The wings of the aeroplane are generally called planes but in reality;they are not plane surfaces since they are curved, or arched so that thesurface underneath concave, and on top convex. This curvature isnecessary in order to utilize more fully the air currents which aredeflected downward by theforward part of the wing. The efficiency of thewings depends on two things: (1) the angle of attack (angle at which thewing is set as viewed from the side) and (2) the curvature. The angle.of attack is obtained by so attaching the wing to the supporting frame;the curvature is obtained by so constructing the ribs.

In my invention undertake to combine the angle of attack and-thecurvature as follows: The front part say) of the wing is flat, then thecurvature begins, curving back and down throughout the remainder of thewing. The curvature may be either circular or parabolic but it is soregulated that the rear beam is brought down well below the front beam.Then the line through both beams is the angle of attack.

By the word aeroplane herein used, I desire to include all types offlying machines wherein these principles may be embodied.

hat I claim as my invention is :f

1. An aeroplane comprising a supporting frame, a main lane arrangedtransversely of the rear portlon thereof, vert cal fins arrangedtransversely of the end portions of plane, extensions carried by saidfins for righting the aeroplane when tilted, combined steering andsupporting means carried by the frame, and propelling means also carriedby the frame.

4. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a main plane carriedthereby,-rightin'g fins. carried by the main-plane, fin'extensionshinged to said fins, means connecting said extensions to cause the sameto operate simultaneously, combined steering and supporting meanscarried by said frame, and propelling means also'carried by said frame;

5. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a main plane therefor, vertical finscarried by said plane, deflecting extensions hinged to said fins, acoupling for said extensions, means controlled from the frame foroperating said extensions, steering means carried by said frame, andpropelling means also carried by said frame.

6. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a main plane therefor, skiddingreducing fins carried by said plane, righting extensions hinged to saidfins, a plate rota'tably connected to said frame, cable connectionsbetween said plate andsaid extensions, a lever for holding said plate ina vertical position while the frame is tilted, steering'means car-Y riedby said frame, and propellng means also carried by said frame.

7. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a

main plane carried thereby, fins carried by said plane, rightingextensions carried by said fins, a hand lever controlling the operationof said extensionaa'combined' plane and rudder carried by said frame,means operated by said lever for controlling-the vertical steering ofsaid plane, independent means for controlling the horizontal steering ofsaid plane, and propelling means carried by said frame.

8. A flying machine comprising a suppnrtin'g frameincluding upper andlower longitudinally arranged members, a steering plane having itsforward edge universally connected to the forward end of said supporting frame, a resilient connection between'the' rear edge of said planeand the lower members of said supporting frame to normally retain theplane at right angles to the support-ingframe, meansfor manuallyoperating said plane, fixed sustaining meansntthe rear end of said.supporting frame,anc l pro; pelling means at the rear end of said frame.

9. Anaeroplane comprising a frame formed of spaced. parallel basemembers, an upper member, brace connections between the base and theupper members,-a vertical standard at-'.the. front of said frame, andvertically arranged parallel guiding standards at the front portion ofsaid frame;- a steering plane extending transversely of said framebetween the front and the guide standards, means for universallyconnecting the front edge of said planeto the front standard, an armcarried bythe rear edge of. said plane and projecting between theguiding standards, means for adjustably and yieldably connecting therear of said plane to said frame, means for operating said plane forvertical steering, independent means for operating said plane forhorizontal steering, and fixed sustaining means carried by said frame.

l0. 2 An aeroplane comprising a supporting frame, a steering planeuniversally. connected to the forward portion thereof, means foroperating said plane for vertical steering, means for independentlyoperating said plane for horizontal steering, a fixed plane at the rearof said frame, vertically arranged fins extending transversely acrosssaid fixed plane, righting extensions hinged to the forward ends of said.fins, a coupling connecting said fins, and means operable from saidframe for simultaneously actuating said extensions.

11. An aeroplane comprising a supporting frame having a-verticalstandard at the front thereof and guide standards adjacent said frontstandard; a bearing sleeve rotatable in said front standard, an eyeclamped to said sleeve, a steering plane extending across said framebetween the front and the standards, an eye carried by the front edge ofsaid plane and linked to the eye of said bearing sleeve, an armprojecting from the rear of said plane and extending between the guidestandards, yieldable means for adjustably connecting said arm to saidframe, means operable from the frame for adjusting said plane forvertical steering, means operable from said frame for adjusting saidplane for horizontal steering, and fixed sustaining means carried bysaid frame.-

12. Anaeropla'ne comprising a supporting frame including a verticalfront standard, a laterally projecting eye rotatably connected to saidstandard, spaced parallel vertical guiding standards carried by'thefront portion of said'frame, a steering plane extending transversely of'said frame between said front and guiding standards, an eye guidecarried by the central portion of the front edge of said'plane andlinked to the eye of thefront standard, an arm projecting centrallyfromthe rear edge of said plane'and movable between the guiding standards,yieldable means for adjustably connecting said arm to said frame, meansfor operating said plane for vertical steering, means for operating saidplane for horizontal steering,

and fixed sustaining means carried by said frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. in presence of twowitnesses.

HERBERT J. FRENCH. Witnesses:

F. FQVROOM N, H, Josnrn DorLE.

